Williams became aggressive and an altercation with officers followed in the hallway of the dorm, the college said in a statement. Officers then fired their weapons because they feared for their lives, police said.

Williams died at the scene.

One officer was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injury.

Williams was majoring in educational instructional technology, and started at the school in the summer of 2011, police spokesman Sid Robinson said.

soundoff(604 Responses)

I do believe that yes Cnn raced to tell the story. Nothing wrong in that. I'm sure we'll get an up dated more filled in version. So how bout everybody hold their ropes and over bearing opinions and see what comes out in the wash and the old folks use to say. Stop being so quick to judge this situation!!!!

that's pretty much how the human mind works. Alchemists however learn to let go of the notions of a "fixed" outcome immediately improving the probability of a "more suitable outcome" ... but good luck your way since both work equally well. ain't life cool!

My question is did this student have a weapon? In the altercation did the student try to take the police officers firearm? If neither of those two things happened, those campus cops are going to have a really big problem. I'm not going to comdemn or condone what those officers did until the truth comes out.

Doesn't matter if he had a weapon, if he acts in such away that a trained professional, an officer, feels that he or she may not be able to handle the situation and that it may end their life they have the right to take action. Can a fully grown man not kill without a weapon?

PDX, I question "professionally trained". What officers are trained in is weapon use, taking people to the ground, and dispatch codes. Officers are not trained how to think, but what to think. It's not hard to be a cop. You can be fat and stupid, but as long as you don't have a record you can join the force. Being a police officer doesn't somehow put you above others in critical thinking, interpersonal skills or non-violent resolution. There training is very specific to their job, not to the needs of a human being. Nor do they care about the "facts"... that's the judges job. Their more like retrievers than human beings. The problem with assuming their training makes them special is that then when they say something occurred it's too often taken by the justice system as a point of fact. Putting on a uniform doesn't give you wisdom or insight, only the authority to use violence at your own "professional" discretion.

It does so matter if he has a weapon. You don't need a gun to subdue someone who is unarmed, you just need to pile on top of him. You don't need a gun to disarm a guy armed with a BBQ fork (I've done it), or a fireplace poker. They have lower level weapons they can use, pepper spray and tasers. Shooting someone with a gun is the last resort.

being a student of "educational instructional" technology ...Clearly the officers didn't fully understand Mr Williams communique' technique and handled it using standard protocol for this current timeline, so they simply shot him.
however: Mr Williams you will be glad to know in the not to distant future ...mankind will be OK!

Had this happened in Iran, Christian nations would be hollering "Nuke Iran". In Syria, "Oust the King!"
But in America, it's business as usual...part of the status quo so loved by the majority who think US and Irael can do no wrong.

It's pretty simple folks. Don't disobey or fight a cop. I'm not saying it's impossible for a member of law enforcement to murder someone in cold blood, but it's probably safe to assume that the vast, vast majority of police killings would be avoided if the "victim" didn't do something stupid.

Thank you for say that. If I dont want to get beat by a cop I wont call him a pig and spit in his face. People always think that they can do what ever they want and get away with it. People need to learn respect and discipline.

Lots of race comments on here. Bottom line cops are suppost to be trained to take down a person by themselves w/o anything more than abilaty. No tazers, no batton,no gun,etc... So it was 2trained officers vs unarmed middle aged man, unless they prove 38yr old was stapped or wired to blow cop who shot dude should get life w/o parrol but ya know that wont happen,may not even get fired.family suing is only realistic punishment pig may face.

Apparently many of the comments come from the same school of journalism as Carma Hassan. This type of pointed and opinionated reporting makes it clear that true investigative journalism is dying in this country, How about a headline like, "Student Killed in Altercation with Police"? With this style of reporting it is no wonder people say the things they do in their comments. And talk of riots? Please, show us some professionalism, not drama creation.

I would encourage each person not to judge or stereotype officers without getting to know them and understand where this country would be if they were not here. We should not tolerate that anymore than judging or stereotyping any other group of people. It is a slippery slope and it never turns out well.

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